NJ.com is making it easier than ever for you to contribute and interact locally through our new community tools. Once you join, you'll be able to meet and interact with area residents who share your interests and passions. Whether it's politics, pets, parenting or sports, you'll be able to hear what others are saying, reading, and watching by becoming a member and exploring what others are sharing.

Here are five simple steps to joining and building up your profile and contributions on NJ.com:

1) Join - Our simple form makes it quick and easy to get your profile started. Once you complete the form, all you need to do is check your email, click on the activation link and you'll be up and running with your new profile.

4) Follow - Visit any commenter's profile page when you see a comment that reflects your thoughts about the subject. When you discover others who share your interests, all you have to do is click follow on their profile, and you can easily track their comments and posts in the future.

5) Share - When you have photos or videos you want to share with the local community post them to your profile page. Your submissions will appear in NJ.com photo and video galleries and on your profile page, as well as the dashboards of those who follow you.